KPop Demon Hunters, the Biggest Movie of the Year, Gets Unfortunate Oscar Update

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This summer, KPop Demon Hunters has become a massive hit. Despite a quiet launch, the Sony Pictures Animation film quickly gained popularity on Netflix, captivating audiences worldwide. Its success was so significant that Netflix, which typically avoids theatrical releases, decided to screen the film in North American cinemas, even offering a singalong version. While Netflix hasn’t shared exact revenue figures, estimates suggest it was the most popular movie during its theatrical run.

After finding success on streaming platforms and in a limited theatrical release, KPop Demon Hunters has become a strong contender during awards season. The film’s song, “Golden,” was named MTV’s “Song of the Summer” and has received numerous awards from critics. It’s also earned three Golden Globe nominations, five Grammy nominations, and ten Annie Award nominations. While many expected the film to compete for the Best Picture Oscar, it recently became ineligible for that top prize, dealing a significant blow to its chances.

KPop Demon Hunters Can’t Be Nominated for Best Picture

The Academy has announced the 317 films that qualify for consideration at the 98th Academy Awards (the Oscars). However, only 201 of these films are eligible for the Best Picture category. Sadly, KPop Demon Hunters did not make the list of potential Best Picture nominees. But this doesn’t mean the film is out of the running entirely – it could still be nominated for other awards on Oscar night.

The movie KPop Demon Hunters isn’t being considered for Best Picture because the requirements for that specific award are stricter than those for other Oscar nominations. To be eligible for Best Picture, a film needs to be shown in theaters for at least seven days in ten major U.S. markets within 45 days of its initial 2025 release. While KPop Demon Hunters did have a limited theatrical release, it only played in three markets – enough for a standard Oscar nomination, but not enough to qualify for Best Picture consideration.

It seems the reason KPop Demon Hunters isn’t being considered for Best Picture is because it didn’t meet the requirements for theatrical release. Several other animated films from Netflix, like The Twits, Fixed, and In Your Dreams, also missed the list despite being eligible. Netflix does have other films eligible, including Ballad of a Small Player, Train Dreams, A House of Dynamite, Nouvelle Vague, and Frankenstein, but these all had wider theatrical releases. The only animated movies currently eligible for Best Picture are those that did get those wider releases, such as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle, Elio, and Zootopia 2.

Despite facing challenges, KPop Demon Hunters still has a chance at winning an Oscar. The film is already a contender for Best Original Song, and it’s highly likely to be nominated for Best Animated Feature as well.

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2026-01-08 23:46